Serbia to Increase Tax Rebates

Film Center Serbia plans to increase the percentage of its cash rebate for film production, from its present 20% on qualified Serbian spend for feature films, TV series, animation films and visual effects, TV commercials and documentaries.

Since the implementation of the cash rebate scheme in April of 2016, international productions spent approximately 58.5 m EUR in Serbia, of which approximately 35 m EUR came from feature films.

„We are currently working on some upgrades, which will soon make the procedure much simpler. We also plan to increase the percentage of tax rebates. We are very pleased with the results so far, all the more since our programme has been in power for just a year and a half. According to our in-house study, every dollar Serbia invests in this programme brings six dollars back. Up to now we have had mostly American and Indian productions, but at this very moment we are hosting the new production of Luc Besson’s new film "Anna" (with WiP Films servicing )“, Boban Jevtić, the director of Film Centre Serbia, told FNE.

The list of the international proctions shot or postproduced in Serbia, and benefitting from the cash rebate scheme, includes a dozen of projects, such as "The Shallows" (2016, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, with Crater Studio servicing), "Mayhem" (2017, directed by Joe Lynch, with Work in progress servicing), TV show pilot "Krypton" (2018, directed by Colm McCarthy, with Work in progress servicing), "Papillon" (2018, directed by Michael Noer, with Work in progress servicing), "Vivegam" (2017, directed by Siva, with Clockwork production servicing), "Extiction" (2018, directed by Ben Young, with Extinction d.o.o. servicing).

A total of 62 projects have applied for incentives at Film Center Serbia so far. The rebates are paid by the Ministry of Economy of the Goverment of the Republic of Serbia.